Ohio State’s 2027, 2028 and 2029 verbal commitments are back in focus as the high school season reaches its sixth week in Ohio, giving the Buckeyes another weekly checkpoint on how the future roster is performing.
The 2027 class is the biggest group in the fold so far, with 19 commitments for Ryan Day and his staff. That class includes six national top 100 players and is headlined by Georgia defensive end DJ Jacobs, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect according to 247Sports.com. As a group, the 2027 class sits seventh in the national 247Sports rankings.
The positional makeup is already pretty clear. Ohio State’s 2027 haul includes one quarterback, no running backs, two wide receivers, six offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, one linebacker and four defensive backs.
Geographically, the class is spread across the map. Five of those commitments are from Ohio, while Florida has four. California has two, and there is one player each from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
The Buckeyes’ 2028 class is smaller but loaded, with five commitments and four players already ranked in the national top 100. That group is led by Massachusetts quarterback Christopher Vargas, who checks in as the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback in the class. Early on, Ohio State’s 2028 class holds the No. 2 spot in the team rankings.
There’s also one commitment in the 2029 class: California wide receiver Austin Miller. 247Sports.com lists him as the nation’s No. 50 overall prospect and No. 9 wide receiver in that group.
One of the players to watch this week was Jameer Whyce, who was active in Trotwood-Madison’s win over Indy Cathedral.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey May Have A Bigger Problem Than Playing Time
Legend Beys first season at Ohio State has already been shaped by interruption, and not just because of the usual freshman learning curve. After an earlier suspension and an ankle injury, the running back has been working from behind for playing time, and his role has stayed limited as the Buckeyes have moved through the season. Even in areas where young players can sometimes find a foothold, his path has been narrow.
The latest sign came against Illinois, when Bey did not play and another player handled his kick-return work instead. For a freshman trying to earn more than a spot in the rotation, that kind of move can say plenty about where he stands with the staff. If the concerns run deeper than health or depth-chart traffic, it could become a bigger issue for Bey as he looks to settle his future in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Running Back Problem Behind Ja'Kobi Jackson
Ohio State got the win over Illinois in Week 4, but the running back room left Ryan Day with a lot to sort through. The group finished with 122 rushing yards, and Ja'Kobi Jackson accounted for the best of it with 56 yards and a touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a steadier presence than they got from the rest of the rotation.
What followed was more revealing than the box score. Day publicly singled out sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, questioning their effort when compared with Ja'Kobi Jackson, and the backdrop here is not just one uneven afternoon but a position group dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. For Ohio State, the bigger concern is whether there is a reliable answer behind Ja'Kobi Jackson, because right now the depth chart looks far less settled than a contender would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Won Big But One Problem Should Worry Buckeye Fans
Ohio State handled Illinois 42-19 at home and kept the Illibuck Trophy where it belongs, so the result never really felt in doubt. Even so, the Buckeyes left the field with a familiar concern hanging over an otherwise comfortable conference win: the run defense was soft in spots, and Illinois found enough room to keep drives alive and make the game less clean than the final score suggested.
Aidan Laughery and Calil Valentine both popped some meaningful runs, and the problems did not stop there. Ohio State also had trouble getting off the field on third down, piled up penalties, and had a few individual miscues, including some from Jermaine Mathews Jr., that will not sit well with a defense aiming higher than a routine October win. [Read more 🡒]